工作記憶在教室中的應用

Working Memory in the Classroom

工作記憶是一個在從事複雜認知作業過程中，用來暫時儲存訊息的心智速記板；它與學校課堂中的活動息息相關。像是遵從教師的指導語或記住將要寫下的句子，都需要工作記憶的參與。在英國，大約有10%的兒童屬於低工作記憶群，這些兒童的學習成效明顯較差。有鑑於此，這篇文章的主要目的是希望借鏡英國的經驗，提供教育先進們一些能夠有效協助低工作記憶兒童學習的相關資訊。我們首先描述一些與工作記憶有關的認知及行為特質；其次，文中概略回顧台灣工作記憶研究的現況；然後，介紹新的工作記憶評量方法以及在英國學校課堂中用來幫助低工作記憶學童有效學習的一些支持性方案。文末並對台灣工作記憶相關研究的未來發展方向提出一些建議。

Working memory is a mental jotting pad that temporarily maintains information for ongoing complex cognitive processing. It is involved in a variety of classroom activities, such as following teachers’ instructions or remembering the sentences that one attempts to write. Around ten percent of children in the UK are affected by poor working memory skills. This has a substantial impact on children’s learning. The overall goal of this article is to provide Taiwanese educators with the information regarding the UK experiences on how to support children with lower working memory. Specifically, this article first describes the profile of cognitive and behavioral characteristics associated with working memory, then briefly overviews working memory research in Taiwan, and then introduces new methods for assessing working memory (e.g., behavioral rating scales and computerized working memory tests) as well as methods that are used in UK classrooms for supporting children with poor working memory (e.g., classroom-based support and working memory training). Implications for future working memory research in Taiwan are also discussed.